Cylindrical Gas Pressure Vessels
on Rail Car

A rail car needs to transport pressurized gas and due to shipping constraints, each cylinder can have only a diameter of 34 cm (inside dimension). The end caps are not considered in this initial design.

What is known:

• Internal pressure is 10 MPa.
• Inside diameter of a single vessel is 34 cm.
• Yield (allowable) stress for the steel shell is 250 MPa.
• Factor of Safety is 2.0.
• The vessels should be designed to meet the maximum distortion energy criteria for predicting failure.

What is the minimum wall thickness in the cylindrical section of the gas pressure vessel?

• Determine the hoop and axial stresses as a function of the thickness.
• Apply the factor of safety.
• Use the maximum distortion energy criteria equation to determine the wall thickness.